


It Won't Last

by RickGrimes



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 20:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1615655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickGrimes/pseuds/RickGrimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Carl's his stubborn and not-affectionate self and they're at the prison. There's a breach and Carl has a close call, so he falls into Rick's arms and Rick comforts him kind of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Won't Last

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tumblr Anon](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Tumblr+Anon).



> There's nothing romantic going on between Rick and Carl in this story~  
> My next few prompts are a Norman/Chandler and one between Andrea & Lily where they bond over the Governor's treatment of them, then there's a Rick/Carl AU.

They thought they’d guarded against breaches—from people and walkers alike—sufficiently. Their fences were reinforced, the gates and doors were locked at all times, and things were secured. Their presumed security had made them feel too comfortable, and they paid the price for it.

Somehow a door or wall or space deep within the prison had presented their weakness. One unlocked door and piles of dead were barging into the cellblocks.

Too many of them were outside on watch or tending to the resources. It was only Rick, Carl, and Hershel against the mass. Rick barely had time to put Judith in her crib and slam the door shut, putting her behind the protection of bars. Her crying was fortunate because it kept the walkers attracted to the harsh sound and the three men could get the intruders from behind.

Their advantage turned when one of the dead noticed their cautious steps and the quiet killing sounds of their various weapons. The decaying woman stumbled towards Carl and got him to the ground. Hershel was held against the wall, struggling to manoeuver with his prosthetic leg, and Rick had to choose. He couldn’t tell if either of them were going to win their fights, but he still had to defend them from the handful of remaining walkers.

“Carl!” He shouted, turning to look at the boy.

Carl was wriggling and kicking, trying to get an advantage over the woman, but she kept at it. Her teeth snapped in his face and her hands were dangerously close to digging through his layers.

Rick gave up his position immediately to go for Carl, wanting to save him before anything else.

“No, stay back,” Carl grunted, “I can handle it.”

Rick was about to argue, but the group was pushing forward and if he turned back it would all be lost. He was the only one left fighting.

 

“Dammit, hold on!” Rick yelled, kicking the closest walker of the group down and firing the last few rounds of his gun. There were a few stragglers left, and Hershel finally overpowered his attacker, quickly recovering and waiting for the remainder to rush him. He finished off the last of them easily.

Rick scrambled to his son and pushed the woman off him. He lunged forward and stabbed her through the head.

“Carl? Are you hurt?” Rick worried, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and checking over him to see if he was wounded.

“I’m fine,” Carl shrugged away from the hand on his shoulder. He stood up, “You wasted time turning back for me. I could’ve handled it. You risked us the fight.”

Rick didn’t speak, but he regarded the boy carefully, choosing his next words, “If I’d lost you, the other outcome wouldn’t have mattered. Would’ve been a loss for me.”

Carl shook his head, “I don’t matter more than the group. You had Hershel and Judith to think about.”

“Don’t say that,” Rick said, “You’re everything.” He was still reeling from almost losing Carl and the boy was standing here telling him he shouldn’t have tried to help him. He couldn’t accept that Carl felt that way. Didn’t he understand that Rick would do anything and risk anything to save him?

“I just-” Carl wiped at his eyes and fell forward into Rick’s arms. He wrapped his arms around the man’s waist tightly and pressed his face to the man’s chest.

Rick was surprised. He hadn’t expected this turn in Carl. The boy was practically shaking against him. Rick put his arms around Carl to return the hug immediately. Everything had built up in Carl for so long and this pushed him over the edge.

“It’s okay, son. I’m here,” Rick comforted, looking over the boy’s shoulder to see that Hershel was securing the cellblock once more, stepping carefully over corpses. He went to the cell containing Judith and shut himself in there to give the two Grimes some privacy.

 

“It was close, Dad. It almost had me, if you had taken a second longer…” Carl breathed.

“I’m sorry. For all of this. I know you could’ve done it though. You’ve always been strong,” Rick soothed.

“Not like you,” Carl disagreed, still not letting up on his grip. He felt like if he let go of Rick that this moment would disappear and he wanted to ride it out. It was so rare that he and his dad opened up to each other on this level.

“You’re right. You’re even stronger than I am, Carl.”

Rick began to pull away by standing up straight. He moved his hands from their position behind Carl’s back only to rest one on the boy’s neck and another on his cheek. He used his thumb to wipe away a tear making its way down Carl’s face. His eyes displayed vulnerability and fear. Rick didn’t want Carl to be scared, but the openness was something he yearned for. He wished Carl would tell him more often what was on his mind, but he guessed the rareness of it made it that much more special when it did happen. Like now.

Rick bent down and kissed Carl’s forehead, “I’ll never let anything happen to you.” Rick let his arms fall away and he scooped up Carl’s hat from the ground. He placed it on top of his head, running his finger under the brim.

Carl looked up at his father, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost control like that,” he finally let go of his dad, his shock and need dissipating. He didn’t like feeling weak, as much as it had been nice to be in his father’s arms. Safe. Home.

“I don’t mind,” Rick said, “Nothing to be sorry for. It’s been a while since I could do somethin’ like this for you. I like knowing what’s on your mind.”

Carl rolled his eyes, “Don’t expect anything like this to happen too soon.”

Rick smiled. Carl was back. Rick hadn’t really ever felt like he was a bad father to Carl, but moments like this—when he could do something more for the boy than just tell him how to shoot, or where to go, or how much to eat—reminded him of what it could’ve been like before everything. Simple moments like this reminded him of what being a father really meant. He would never take what he had in Carl for granted. His son kept him human.

“Let’s get these bodies cleared out,” Carl suggested, interrupting Rick’s thoughts.

“Yeah,” Rick agreed, stepping away from his son to look at his surroundings. There were bodies everywhere. “You sure you’re all right?”

Carl smiled to indicate that he was hanging in there, but it turned into a reluctant curl of the lips, “We have work to do.”

“Yes we do,” Rick agreed, feeling the heaviness of normality settle back over them.


End file.
